


The Naming of Cats: Cats (2019) vs. Cats: The Musical, Explained

by iodhadh



Category: Cats (2019), Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: Cats Fandom, Gen, Meta, Movie vs. Musical, Musicals, Nonfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iodhadh/pseuds/iodhadh
Summary: Cats (2019) made a number of changes to both story and characterization that differentiate it from Cats: The Musical, as represented in both the stage play and the 1998 direct-to-video film production. What follows is an attempt to lay out those differences, as a point of interest and education for new fans, and for any longtime fans who want a comprehensive breakdown.
Comments: 52
Kudos: 149





	The Naming of Cats: Cats (2019) vs. Cats: The Musical, Explained

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise, everyone who follows me for Dragon Age fanfic (so, uh, everyone). Turns out I had a lot of thoughts about the new Cats movie? (It's a glorious disaster and you should absolutely go see it.) AO3 seemed like the most sensible place to put this explainer. I hope it's helpful to someone!
> 
> For those new to the musical: hello! I hope you're all having a great time. Welcome to the singing, dancing sexy cats fandom.
> 
> If you're looking for Cats fanfic, I'm afraid I can't help you there—my main stomping grounds these days, aside from original fiction, is Dragon Age and queer sci-fi/fantasy literature. Don't subscribe to me looking for more Cats! But if you like Dragon Age rarepairs, I might have something for you.

Before I get into this in earnest, some notes.

Firstly, my knowledge of the original musical comes primarily from the 1998 direct-to-video film production of Cats, and not from the stage musical itself. There are some differences between the two (which I will detail below), but they’re fairly minor—so minor, in fact, that AO3 doesn’t seem to have a specific tag for the 1998 film, folding it all in under “Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber.” I welcome corrections or additions from stage buffs if I missed anything, so please leave me a comment to let me know!

Secondly, I’m not going to comment on staging choices, except in cases where the staging interacts strongly with something that _does_ concern me—namely, characterization and plot. Every production of a play makes its own staging and choreography decisions; I’m not here to pedantically pick apart every small difference between versions.

Thirdly, I’m not going into detail about differences based on form of media. We’re all well aware that the movie used CGI rather than practical effects to make the actors look like cats. And the movie has of course made use of film-style sets, thus allowing the action to take place in a variety of different locations (whereas the musical typically has a single static set that serves as the backdrop for the entire show). I’m not bothering with obvious medium differences. A movie is a movie; a stage show is a stage show. They’re not obligated to—and, indeed, ought not—mirror each other precisely. Again, I’m concerned with characterization and plot differences.

That said, let’s begin!

## Stage Show vs. 1998 Video Production

Cats: The Musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber starting in 1977, based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot. It was transformed from song cycle to complete musical by producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, and choreographer Gillian Lynne, and opened in London’s West End in 1981 and subsequently on Broadway in 1982. For many years Cats was the world record holder for longest running musical in both theatre districts.

The 1998 direct-to-video film production of Cats was based strongly on the stage show. It was filmed on stage at the Adelphi Theatre in London, and all the actors involved (with the exception of John Mills as Gus the Theatre Cat) were former or then-current members of Cats stage productions who were invited to reprise their roles for the film. It is staged like a theatre show, with a single set and clear “backstage” and “audience” directions (though it was not filmed in front of an audience). It was overseen by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and also brought on the show’s original choreographer, Gillian Lynne.

The main differences between the stage production and the 1998 film are:

  * Some numbers were cut down to reduce runtime for the film. Verses and/or instrumental sequences were trimmed from “The Old Gumbie Cat,” “Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer,” “The Jellicle Ball,” “Macavity: The Mystery Cat,” and “Mr. Mistoffelees.”
  * “Growltiger’s Last Stand” (a play-within-a-play sequence that in the original stage play takes place as part of Gus the Theatre Cat’s reminisces on past roles) was cut in its entirety. Since 2016 this song sequence has also been cut from the Broadway and West End performances.
  * A new chorus role by the name of Exotica was created for the film for actress Femi Taylor, who had been part of the original West End cast as Tantomile (another chorus member, played in the film by Kaye Brown).
  * Asparagus (a chorus role) and Gus the Theatre Cat were split into two roles: in the stage show this is normally one part, but the elderly John Mills (who played Gus the Theatre Cat in the film) was unable to do the singing and dancing parts demanded by the chorus role, and so it was filled by another actor.



Overall, the changes were not especially significant, and the story and characters are the same as they have traditionally been portrayed in stage productions.

## Musical vs. 2019 Movie

As you can likely guess, this is not the case for the 2019 movie directed by Tom Hooper. The movie made significant changes to both characterization and plot, not least of which is giving audiences a significant plot to follow at all (longtime musical fans have been deeply amused at movie reviewers new to Cats complaining about how tenuous the plot is, considering that the movie has at least three times as much solidity of story as the original stage play). I’ll begin with an overview of the general changes, and then move on to covering specific characters.

### General Differences

  * Cats in its original form is a sung-through musical; this means there are no spoken parts that aren’t part of a song. In the movie a significant amount of story is carried in spoken dialogue between the characters. It is important to note that these lines of spoken dialogue are not parts of songs that have been converted into conversation; they’re wholly new lines that were invented for the movie. I’ll cover all of this in more detail later, but this includes:
    * any lines spoken by Macavity,
    * the vast majority of Macavity’s evil plot,
    * Victoria’s backstory and a significant part of her introduction to the Jellicles,
    * many of the details about the Jellicle Ball, and
    * the spoken explanations to Victoria of who various new cats are.
  * Cats (2019) makes use of a common technique in movies where one character is intended as an audience surrogate, allowing the film to explain itself to the audience by explaining itself to a character new to its world.
    * In the movie, this is Victoria, who is not yet a member of the Jellicle tribe and must be introduced to it and learn its ways.
    * In the musical, no such character exists (Victoria is a character in the musical, but not an audience surrogate—more on her role later). All the characters who appear in the musical, with the exception of Macavity and _possibly_ Grizabella, are understood to be Jellicles and therefore already all members of the same society.
  * The purpose of the Jellicle Ball is much more clearly delineated in the movie.
    * In Cats (2019), the Jellicle Ball is explicitly a gathering to decide who will ascend to the Heaviside Layer, with the focus of the event being on a formalized competition between contestants to be chosen for that ascension.
    * In the musical, the Jellicle Ball is portrayed more as an annual celebration of being a Jellicle, of which the choice of ascendant is only one part. The cats introducing themselves over the course of the musical are not engaged in (formal) competition; they’re telling everyone who they are as part of their celebration of unashamed felinity, and perhaps competing with each other unofficially to be chosen for ascension.
  * In the original musical, there are two numbers which serve as play-with-a-play sequences, both of which were cut from the movie:
    * “Growltiger’s Last Stand” is the story of the vanquishing of the piratical Growltiger and his lover Lady Griddlebone by a fighting force of siamese cats. It takes place after “Gus: The Theatre Cat,” and makes up part of Gus’s reminiscences on past roles (Growltiger being a part he used to play). It was cut from the 1998 film due to racial insensitivity and time constraints, and has been cut entirely from the Broadway and West End productions since 2016. In productions that include it, it is narrated by Gus the Theatre Cat.
    * “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles” is a humorous retelling of a battle between two rival tribes of dogs, which is put an end to by the Great Rumpus Cat. It takes place after Old Deuteronomy’s introduction, and is clearly meant as an entertainment for him: the cats portraying the Pekes and the Pollicles dress up in junk costumes for the show. Like “Growltiger’s Last Stand,” it has sometimes been cut from productions due to racial insensitivity. When included, it is narrated by Munkustrap.



### Victoria

  * Victoria is the character whose role was most significantly altered for the movie, with these changes primarily being made to modify the structure of the story.
  * The role of Victoria in the movie is an amalgamation of two characters in the musical: Victoria, a white cat whose primary role is as a dancer, and Jemima, a vocal soloist who is most sympathetic to Grizabella.
  * Though Victoria (in the musical) does participate in group numbers, she does not have any solo vocal parts herself; her primary distinguishing feature aside from her colouration is that she normally has two significant ballet numbers. One is in the opening sequence of “The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball,” near the beginning of the show (in the movie this is the scene that takes place in the graveyard); Mr. Mistoffelees does a small part of this with her. The other is a duet as part of “The Jellicle Ball” dance sequence (her opposite number in this is usually Plato, a chorus cat). Because of this focus on dance parts, Victoria is normally played by a skilled ballerina.
  * Jemima (or Sillabub in some productions where the name Jemima was felt to have negative racial connotations) is the character who seems to have more strongly formed the basis for movie Victoria’s character. She is a sweet, idealistic young member of the Jellicle tribe, and is the character most welcoming and accepting of Grizabella. She has solo parts as part of Grizabella’s song “Memory,” sung in a high, pure soprano.
  * Victoria in the musical is also portrayed as sympathetic to Grizabella, reaching out to her before being stopped by older characters, but it is Jemima who actually connects with her in song.
  * In the musical, Jemima does not witness Grizabella’s initial solo; instead, Old Deuteronomy is the only observer, and tries to convey his sympathy to the other Jellicles in “The Moments of Happiness.” However, his wording is too obscure and he cannot make himself adequately understood to the rest of the tribe.
  * In order to explain himself more simply, he chooses Jemima to “interpret” (via psychic assistance from the twins Tantomile and Coricopat, chorus members who are portrayed as telepathic), which she does by singing a reprise of “Memory.” At that point she does not yet know its connection to Grizabella.
  * “Beautiful Ghosts,” the number Victoria sings to Grizabella in the movie, was not part of the original musical; it was invented for the movie.
  * Victoria’s backstory as a cat abandoned by her owner and taken in by the Jellicles was also invented for the movie, in order to give her a role as an audience surrogate. In the musical there is no audience surrogate, and Victoria and Jemima are both young cats who were presumably born into the Jellicles and have never known life outside that society.
  * In the musical when Grizabella reappears and sings “Memory” in front of all the Jellicles, it is not specifically at Jemima’s urging; instead, it is while listening to her that Jemima makes the connection between Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy’s previous song, and joins in singing “Memory” with her, thus encouraging the rest of the Jellicles to sympathy.



### Mr. Mistoffelees

  * Mr. Mistoffelees is the cat whose characterization has been most significantly changed in the movie production (unlike Victoria, whose character is relatively consistent with Victoria and Jemima’s in the musical, but which has been altered in structure).
  * In the movie, Mr. Mistoffelees is portrayed as awkward, self-conscious, clumsy, and bumbling. In the musical, he is none of these things, instead carrying himself with considerable poise, grace, and confidence.
  * Like Victoria, he is usually played by a skilled ballet dancer: his signature move as part of the song “Mr. Mistoffelees” is the “Conjuring Turn,” which consists of twenty-four consecutive _fouettés en tournant_. He has small parts in a number of songs but is not a major vocal soloist in most modern productions of the stage play.
  * In some earlier productions, however, he was a solo vocalist on versions of "Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer" that were sung about rather than by the title characters. Due to the difficulty in casting an actor who is both a very skilled dancer and a skilled singer, this casting tendency has often been dropped (thanks to guan_lupe and PIRANHA for this information!).
  * The obvious romantic attraction he has to Victoria is a new invention for the movie; in the musical they have no specific relationship, and obviously nothing based on the trope of the awkward male character who finds his confidence through the unwavering faith of his love interest (as Mr. Mistoffelees is not portrayed as unconfident in the musical).
  * Victoria/Mr. Mistoffelees is a longtime (though never particularly major) ship in the fandom, but this is due to the sensuality of the dance part they have together rather than any actual romantic subplot as in the movie.
  * Mr. Mistoffelees in the musical is portrayed as an accomplished and powerful magician, not as someone still mastering his powers.
  * When Old Deuteronomy is kidnapped, it is the Rum Tum Tugger, rather than Victoria, who proposes they turn to Mr. Mistoffelees for help. It is also Tugger who sings the majority of Mr. Mistoffelees’ song (more on his relationship with Tugger later).



### Macavity

  * Macavity’s characterization was almost entirely invented for the movie. In the musical, he appears only twice in any significant capacity, and has no spoken or sung lines at all.
  * Most of Macavity’s appearances in the musical consist of a flash of dramatic lightning and him momentarily looming and cackling ominously in the background, and then vanishing once he has scared the Jellicles off.
  * The two significant appearances Macavity makes in the musical are, firstly, the kidnapping of Old Deuteronomy, which takes place before “Macavity: The Mystery Cat”; and secondly, after his song, a false Old Deuteronomy is returned to the Jellicles but shortly reveals himself to be Macavity in disguise. This begins a physical fight between Macavity and Munkustrap, with assistance provided by Alonzo (a chorus role who is often portrayed as Munkustrap’s second). In the movie, the entire impersonation and fight sequence was cut.
  * In the musical, Macavity’s motivations for terrorizing the Jellicles are never explained in any manner. He has nothing to do with their society and is not in the running for ascension to the Heaviside Layer—and, as the ascension is not portrayed as a formal competition, there’s no way for him to “cheat the system” to win in any case.
  * The only character who is ever kidnapped by Macavity in the musical is Old Deuteronomy; as far as we know, that’s just because Macavity likes wreaking havoc and wants to exercise his power over the Jellicles. In the movie he kidnaps Jennyanydots, Bustopher Jones, Gus the Theatre Cat, and Skimbleshanks in order to remove them from the competition, and takes Old Deuteronomy after “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” when she refuses to name him as the Jellicle Choice.
  * None of the characters who are portrayed as his agents in the movie are in those roles in the musical. Though there are a few assistant cats who help him with kidnapping Old Deuteronomy, none of those are named characters. Some characters (such as Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, and sometimes others) are _rumoured_ to work with him, and the actors who play those roles may also play Macavity’s unnamed assistants in some productions.
  * Macavity is not present for his song in the musical, as he is in the movie; instead, it is portrayed as an explanation of who he is being made by members of the Jellicle tribe after Old Deuteronomy’s kidnapping.
  * In the musical, it is common to have Macavity played by the same actor who portrays Plato, the chorus cat who dances a duet with Victoria.



### Old Deuteronomy

  * The most significant difference between Old Deuteronomy in the movie and the musical is the character’s gender: in the musical he is male, but in the movie is played by Judi Dench and is female.
  * This led to some changes in the lyrics of “Old Deuteronomy”—in the musical, the second verse begins “Old Deuteronomy’s buried nine wives/And more, I am tempted to say ninety-nine,” while in the movie this was changed to “Old Deuteronomy’s lived many lives/No, I am tempted to say ninety-nine.” Her pronouns are also changed, and she is referred to as a matriarch rather than a patriarch.
  * Judi Dench, wonderful as she is, is plainly not a singer; in the musical, Old Deuteronomy is normally played by a powerful singer, and has been portrayed most famously by Brian Blessed (well known for his booming voice) and Ken Page (who is best known for his role as Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas).
  * In the musical, it is Old Deuteronomy who first witnesses Grizabella’s tragic song “Memory,” and who attempts to share his sympathy with the other Jellicles; however, his explanation is too abstract and obscure, and he is obliged to have the already-sympathetic Jemima “interpret” via a telepathic connection mediated by Tantomile and Coricopat.
  * In the movie, Old Deuteronomy instead witnesses a moment of connection between Victoria and Grizabella, and it is unclear whether she observed the initial despair (Grizabella’s song “Memory”) or only Victoria’s sympathetic response (“Beautiful Ghosts”). Her version of “The Moments of Happiness” is part of a conversation with Victoria.
  * Old Deuteronomy’s kidnapping by Macavity in the musical is not fuelled by the latter’s attempt to cheat his way to the Heaviside Layer; instead, it appears to be merely to cause chaos and terror.



### Munkustrap

  * Munkustrap is the grey male tabby who in the movie introduces Victoria to the Jellicles and takes her under his wing. In the musical he has a considerably more significant role, and in fact is frequently the character with top billing; he serves as the main narrator of the show and the second-in-command of the Jellicles, and is a protector for many of the younger characters.
  * He is often implied to be one of Old Deuteronomy’s sons, and may also be portrayed as the Rum Tum Tugger’s brother.
  * He is typically portrayed as more confident and commanding in the musical than in the movie, and is the character who fights with Macavity when Macavity impersonates Old Deuteronomy and attacks the Jellicles.



### Demeter

  * In the movie, Demeter has a very minor role: she is the grey female cat who accompanies Victoria, Munkustrap, Mr. Mistoffelees, and Cassandra (the brown female) at the beginning. Her only role of significance in the movie is singing part of “Grizabella: The Glamour Cat.”
  * In the musical, Demeter is a much more distinctive character, typically portrayed as a black and gold tabby with some red or orange patches. She has parts in “Grizabella: The Glamour Cat” and “The Old Gumbie Cat,” and sings “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” in duet with Bombalurina.
  * Demeter is typically portrayed as skittish and nervous, and often runs to Bombalurina for comfort. She is also notable for being the character who typically calls out a warning to the rest of the Jellicles when Macavity appears; the other two characters who usually notice his appearance are Coricopat and Tantomile, the telepathic twins in the chorus. That Demeter is as aware of danger as them without being psychic is evidence of her sensitivity and anxiety.
  * When the false Old Deuteronomy is returned to the Jellicles, Demeter is the only one who knows something is wrong, and it is her leaping on him that unmasks Macavity. He then attacks her, and she is rescued by Munkustrap and Alonzo. Her comforting Munkustrap after the fight is a significant basis for the Demeter/Munkustrap ship popular in the fandom, and in some productions she may be intentionally portrayed as either his mate or Alonzo’s mate.
  * Her friendship with Bombalurina is also sometimes interpreted as romantic by the fandom.
  * Demeter’s strong reaction and terror of Macavity has sometimes been interpreted as the effects of trauma, and in fanfiction she may be portrayed as a past victim of Macavity’s who was rescued from a terrible fate by the Jellicles (or specifically by her love interest).



### Bombalurina

  * In the movie, Bombalurina is portrayed as an agent of Macavity’s, and only appears to present his song for the Heaviside Layer competition; when Old Deuteronomy refuses to name him as Jellicle Choice and he kidnaps her, he also returns to rescue Bombalurina before the Jellicles can get to her.
  * In the musical, Bombalurina is one of the Jellicles rather than an ally of Macavity’s; she has parts alongside Demeter in “The Old Gumbie Cat” and “Grizabella: The Glamour Cat,” and sings “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” in duet with her. She also has small parts in “The Rum Tum Tugger” and “Bustopher Jones.”
  * In the movie her parts as a Jellicle seem to have mostly been absorbed into the role of Cassandra (normally a chorus cat who is also sometimes portrayed as magician’s assistant to Mr. Mistoffelees).
  * Bombalurina is self-confident and sensual, and has a dance part with Tugger in his song; she seems to be interested in him, and Rum Tum Tugger/Bombalurina has been a longtime ship in fandom, though he does not typically show a specific interest in her.
  * She is also typically portrayed as close to Demeter, and comforts her when Demeter runs to her in fear; Demeter/Bombalurina is also a longtime ship.



### Grizabella

  * Grizabella’s role in the movie is largely unchanged from the musical; the main difference is that in the movie, the explanation for why the Jellicles mistrust her is given as her having “gone with Macavity” at some point in the past (though she is clearly no longer his ally by the time of the movie).
  * In the musical she is never implied to be an ally of Macavity’s, and there is no definitive reason given for why she is rejected by the Jellicles.
  * She is also normally portrayed as older in the musical, and is grey and tattered at least in part due to age. In the movie she is portrayed by Jennifer Hudson, who is in her late thirties.



### Rum Tum Tugger

  * The Rum Tum Tugger’s characterization in his eponymous song is almost unchanged from the typical musical portrayal, with the main difference being that Jason Derulo (quite reasonably) plays him as a sexy R&B singer rather than a sexy rock musician. However, other differences in his characterization arise in the movie based on how he is portrayed interacting with the Jellicles at other times.
  * In the movie, he largely holds himself aloof from the rest of the Jellicles, and aside from some minor vocal contributions and dance parts his role outside his own song is very small. Unlike the other characters who have solo songs prior to Old Deuteronomy’s kidnapping, he is apparently not participating in the Heaviside Layer competition and is not kidnapped by Macavity.
  * In the musical, though he claims in his song to be aloof and contrary, he actually participates quite a bit in the rest of the Jellicles’ celebrations, though often in a singular role rather than as part of the chorus (for example, in “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles,” he interrupts Munkustrap’s narration and the other cats’ performance with humorous antics). As one of the mature adult males, he is also somewhat protective of the more vulnerable characters in some scenes.
  * He is sometimes implied to be one of Old Deuteronomy’s sons, and may be portrayed as Munkustrap’s brother.
  * Some parts of “The Rum Tum Tugger” that were originally in third person (sung about him by other characters) were changed to first person in the movie so he could sing about himself.
  * One significant change to his role in the movie is his lack of relationship with Mr. Mistoffelees. In the musical, Tugger has the main part on “Mr. Mistoffelees,” giving the impression of proudly talking up someone he finds impressive; in the movie the song is introduced by Munkustrap and has been rewritten to primarily be Mr. Mistoffelees nervously talking about himself.
  * The Rum Tum Tugger is also the cat in the musical who proposes turning to Mr. Mistoffelees to rescue Old Deuteronomy, with full confidence in his abilities; in the movie, Victoria makes the suggestion, and is the only one who has faith in Mr. Mistoffelees’ powers.
  * Mr. Mistoffelees’ line in “The Rum Tum Tugger,” where he says “the Rum Tum Tugger is a terrible bore” is portrayed in the movie as jealousy of Victoria’s attention to Tugger; in the musical, it is often sung as playfully refusing to give Tugger the attention he clearly craves. This, alongside Tugger being the one to, quite literally, sing Mr. Mistoffelees’ praises, has long made Mr. Mistoffelees/Rum Tum Tugger one of the more popular ships in the fandom.
  * Tugger is also sometimes shipped with Bombalurina, who dances with him on “The Rum Tum Tugger,” a relationship which is nonexistent in the movie.



### Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

  * In the musical, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are scamps who appear to be somewhat on the fringes of the Jellicle society, but are not outright malicious and have only a vaguely rumoured connection to Macavity. In the movie, they are his agents and aid in his infiltration of the Jellicle Ball and the kidnapping of Old Deuteronomy, though they claim it was just meant as “a bit of fun.”
  * In the movie, their introduction to Victoria happens when the rest of the Jellicles run off and leave her alone; they proceed to take her through a house on one of their cat burglary adventures, only to abandon her there when threatened by the household dog.
  * In the musical, they take the stage after the rest of the Jellicles scatter, but are onstage alone rather than performing for the benefit of anyone specific (as Victoria does not have the audience surrogate role in the musical she has in the movie). Their exit comes when they are caught in their antics by the other Jellicles, and scamper offstage themselves. They appear in some later small chorus parts, but have no more solo lines.
  * Their parts in the musical are quite acrobatic, so they are usually portrayed by actors who have some tumbling experience. Because of this athleticism and the difficulty of sustaining enough air to sing while tumbling, their parts are often partially lip synched in stage productions (thanks to PIRANHA for this information!).
  * In some earlier productions of the stage play on Broadway, Mr. Mistoffolees had the lead role on "Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer," and the title characters were portrayed as acrobatic marionettes. This was later rewritten to conform more closely with the West End production, in which Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer sing their own song.
  * The musical arrangement used in the movie is different from the most common arrangement used in the stage play, but it's not a new arrangement as some fans have suggested; in fact it's an older arrangement that was used in some earlier productions of Cats, before being changed to the commonly used arrangement of today (thanks to Whit Merule for this information!).
  * Old school Cats fandom discourse includes extensive arguments over whether they are meant to be a couple or siblings (and therefore whether it’s okay to ship them). There is no definitive answer provided by extracanonical materials, and various productions have interpreted their relationship in different ways.



### Jennyanydots

  * In the musical, Jennyanydots is portrayed as a fussy middle-aged lady with middle class sensibilities. In the movie she is portrayed by Rebel Wilson (who is in her late thirties), with a much more vulgar aspect.
  * While she is portrayed as large and a little ungainly in the musical, the movie is significantly more disparaging about her size; in the musical, she is a somewhat comical character, but is treated with respect and affection by the other Jellicles, whereas in the movie she is portrayed as embarrassing and undignified, and makes inappropriate or rude comments about other characters.
  * The humour of the Jennyanydots role in the musical is derived largely from her apparent sincerity in finding gainful employment for the mice and cockroaches. Unlike in the movie, she is not terrifying them into performing for her amusement, she does not consider them “dinner and a show,” and she does not eat any of them. She is entirely well-meaning and genuine in teaching them their “productive skills.” She is also polite and sincere in her other interactions with the Jellicles.
  * Unlike in the movie, she is not kidnapped by Macavity at any point; after “The Old Gumbie Cat,” she does not have any further significant role in the musical, though in some productions her actress has a part on "Bustopher Jones."
  * In the movie, parts of “The Old Gumbie Cat” were converted into first person so as to have Jennyanydots sing them, rather than other characters singing about her. She also sings part of “The Rum Tum Tugger,” which is not part of her role in the musical.
  * The costume change she has as part of her number in the movie is also a mainstay of the musical; in the 1998 film, she initially appears in a large, frumpy padded costume which makes her move a bit awkwardly, and then strips it off to reveal a dramatic gold fringe bodysuit and tap shoes for her part in the Beetle Tattoo dance. This looks considerably less bizarre when done with practical effects rather than CGI.



### Bustopher Jones

  * For the most part, Bustopher Jones’ characterization in his song is fairly similar in the movie and the musical. However, there is one significant difference, which is that in the movie he is afforded considerably less dignity in the part of the song listing the clubs he visits.
  * In the movie, when he is enumerating where he likes to dine, he is portrayed leaping into the trash cans of various restaurants and scarfing down their scraps. In the musical, he is typically quite fussy for this part of the song, and is portrayed as very upper class in his manner.
  * Compared to the rest of the cats, he seems to come from a much more upper class background in general, and is very conscious of his dignity.
  * He is also not portrayed as “sensitive” about his size in the musical, as he says he is in the movie, and the rest of the cats seem to be deeply admiring of his largeness rather than finding it distasteful in any way.
  * As with Jennyanydots, in the musical he is not kidnapped by Macavity and does not have any significant role after his own song. In some productions he is portrayed by the same actor as either Gus the Theatre Cat or Old Deuteronomy.
  * Also like Jennyanydots, parts of Bustopher’s song were changed to first person in the movie to have him sing them instead of having others sing about him.



### Gus the Theatre Cat

  * In the movie, “Gus: The Theatre Cat” is sung by Gus himself, as his presentation for the Heaviside Layer competition. In the musical, it is typically sung _about_ him, with only a shorter section near the end of the song being sung by Gus himself.
  * The cat who sings most of his song is named Jellylorum. She is typically portrayed as a mature female cat, and seems to serve as Gus’s caretaker. Her exact relationship to Gus is not known, though she is sometimes speculated to be his either his mate, or his daughter or niece (Jellylorum also typically has a part in “The Old Gumbie Cat,” alongside Demeter and Bombalurina).
  * In the movie, dramatic special effects for Gus’s performance are provided by Mr. Mistoffelees, who is a fan of his work. In the musical, some special effects are typically used that represent Gus’s own memory of his former fame (such as a ghostly appearance of his famous role, Firefrorefiddle, which he reaches for longingly).
  * His characterization in both movie and musical is fairly consistent, though having him sing his own song as he does in the movie gives “Gus: The Theatre Cat” a more boastful quality; in the movie, it is often portrayed more nostalgically, and in the 1998 film he starts crying quietly at the end of his song and is comforted by Jellylorum.
  * As with Jennyanydots and Bustopher Jones, Macavity does not kidnap him in the musical, and he does not have any significant role outside of his own song.
  * In productions that include “Growltiger’s Last Stand,” Gus narrates the song (and typically portrays Growltiger), while Jellylorum usually takes the role of Griddlebone, Growltiger’s lover.
  * Though the character of Gus the Theatre Cat is always portrayed as elderly, he may be played by a younger actor so as to allow him to participate in other scenes as a chorus member. The actor playing Gus also sometimes portrays Bustopher Jones.



### Skimbleshanks

  * Skimbleshanks’ characterization in the movie is almost precisely the same as his portrayal in the musical. He participates as a chorus cat before “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat,” but does not have any solo parts outside his own song.
  * As with Jennyanydots, Bustopher Jones, and Gus the Theatre Cat, Skimbleshanks is not a victim of Macavity in the musical.
  * In the movie he is portrayed as a tap dancer on the rail lines, to great effect.



### Growltiger

  * In the movie, Growltiger is a grizzled old cat who serves as Macavity’s agent, keeping the kidnapped cats tied up on his barge in the middle of the Thames. He sings a few short lines from “Growltiger’s Last Stand,” but the song is not performed in its entirety.
  * In the musical, Growltiger is a fictional character who was portrayed by Gus the Theatre Cat in his heyday as an actor; “Growltiger’s Last Stand” is a play-within-a-play sequence in which Gus reprises his old role.
  * The original lyrics to the song (taken directly from the 1939 T.S. Eliot poem) include a racial slur for Chinese people; that, along with the use of stereotypical Asian accents in the portrayal of the siamese cats who vanquish Growltiger, and the time constraints of a film production, led to the song being cut from the 1998 film.
  * Many productions (especially amateur productions) wanting to reduce the length of the show have often cut either “Growltiger’s Last Stand” or “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles,” both play-within-a-play sequences. Though “Pekes and Pollicles” also has some casual anti-Asian racism, “Growltiger” has more often been the candidate for this cut due to the greater severity of it. As of 2016, “Growltiger’s Last Stand” is no longer performed in either the West End or Broadway productions.



## In Conclusion

As you can see, a significant number of changes were made for the production of Cats (2019). New Cats fans who are looking for fic that matches the movie interpretation will need to seek under the movie’s tag—otherwise, the greatest body of work (particularly on older fanfiction hosts) is by far going to follow the musical’s plot and characterization.

If what I’ve laid out here sounds interesting to you, I would highly recommend you seek out Cats (1998)—it’s a lot of fun, the dancing and the practical effects are fantastic, and it’s a lot less heterosexual than the new movie. But whatever your preferences, enjoy your time here, and I hope this explainer has been useful to you.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Update:** There have been too many long comments for me to thoughtfully reply to every one individually, but some knowledgeable theatre fans have been having an excellent discussion thread down below. Take a look there for some additional context and background. Many thanks to PIRANHA, Jennifer L. Schillig, Whit Merule, and guan_lupe for your excellent contributions!


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